Clifford Chambers
Encyclopedia
Clifford Chambers is a village two miles south of Stratford-upon-Avon
, Warwickshire
, on the B4632 and one mile south of the A3400
. It consists of some 150 houses and the population of the parish in the 2001 census
was 418. Until 2004 the village was in its own parish but it is now part of the parish of Clifford Chambers and Milcote. The village was in Gloucestershire
until 1931. The River Stour
runs along the north-eastern edge of the village.
as the bubonic plague
was rife in Stratford-upon-Avon
at the time of the bard's birth and during times of plague Clifford Chambers rectory
was used as a refuge.
It is known that the moat
ed manor house
was visited in the 16th century by several well-known poets of the time such as Michael Drayton
, Ben Jonson
and Shakespeare. This was because the father of the lady of the house was a patron
to young poets at the time. Many of the houses were still owned by the occupants of the manor house right up until after the Second World War. It was the lady of the manor who 'switched on' the village's electricity supply when it was connected to the national grid in 1933.
During the Second World War children from the Roman Catholic school in Edgbaston
, Birmingham lived in the village due to emergency evacuation
from the bombed city. Shortly after the war deep-texture furnishing fabric from Clifford Chambers mill was developed. This was later used in the rebuilt Coventry Cathedral
and on the QE2
ocean liner.
centre, one mile from the village, closed soon after the 2001 UK foot and mouth crisis
and is now a business park. The Shakespearean and Hollywood actor Sir Ben Kingsley is a former resident of the village.
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, on the B4632 and one mile south of the A3400
A3400 road
The A3400 is a road in the Midlands of England, running from Hockley Heath to a junction with the A44 near Chipping Norton. At its northern end it joins up with the A34, of which it was originally one section. At its southern end it joins the A44, passing through Woodstock and joining the A34 at...
. It consists of some 150 houses and the population of the parish in the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
was 418. Until 2004 the village was in its own parish but it is now part of the parish of Clifford Chambers and Milcote. The village was in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
until 1931. The River Stour
River Stour, Warwickshire
The River Stour is a river in Warwickshire, England. It is a tributary of the Avon, which it joins at Stratford-upon-Avon. The source of the River Stour is in Traitors Ford; it joins the Avon at Clifford Chambers....
runs along the north-eastern edge of the village.
History
The village claims to be the real birthplace of William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
as the bubonic plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
was rife in Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
at the time of the bard's birth and during times of plague Clifford Chambers rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
was used as a refuge.
It is known that the moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
ed manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
was visited in the 16th century by several well-known poets of the time such as Michael Drayton
Michael Drayton
Michael Drayton was an English poet who came to prominence in the Elizabethan era.-Early life:He was born at Hartshill, near Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England. Almost nothing is known about his early life, beyond the fact that in 1580 he was in the service of Thomas Goodere of Collingham,...
, Ben Jonson
Ben Jonson
Benjamin Jonson was an English Renaissance dramatist, poet and actor. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, he is best known for his satirical plays, particularly Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair, which are considered his best, and his lyric poems...
and Shakespeare. This was because the father of the lady of the house was a patron
Patrón
Patrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
to young poets at the time. Many of the houses were still owned by the occupants of the manor house right up until after the Second World War. It was the lady of the manor who 'switched on' the village's electricity supply when it was connected to the national grid in 1933.
During the Second World War children from the Roman Catholic school in Edgbaston
Edgbaston
Edgbaston is an area in the city of Birmingham in England. It is also a formal district, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Edgbaston ward and the wards of Bartley Green, Harborne and Quinton....
, Birmingham lived in the village due to emergency evacuation
Emergency evacuation
Emergency evacuation is the immediate and rapid movement of people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hazard. Examples range from the small scale evacuation of a building due to a bomb threat or fire to the large scale evacuation of a district because of a flood, bombardment or...
from the bombed city. Shortly after the war deep-texture furnishing fabric from Clifford Chambers mill was developed. This was later used in the rebuilt Coventry Cathedral
Coventry Cathedral
Coventry Cathedral, also known as St Michael's Cathedral, is the seat of the Bishop of Coventry and the Diocese of Coventry, in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The current bishop is the Right Revd Christopher Cocksworth....
and on the QE2
RMS Queen Elizabeth 2
Queen Elizabeth 2, often referred to simply as the QE2, is an ocean liner that was operated by Cunard from 1969 to 2008. Following her retirement from cruising, she is now owned by Istithmar...
ocean liner.
The village today
Since 1996 the village has been the headquarters of the Hosking Houses Trust, a charity for female writers. The Shire HorseShire horse
The Shire horse is a breed of draught horse or draft horse . The breed comes in many colours, including black, bay and grey. They are a tall breed, with mares standing and over and stallions standing and over. The breed has an enormous capacity for weight pulling, and Shires have held the world...
centre, one mile from the village, closed soon after the 2001 UK foot and mouth crisis
2001 UK foot and mouth crisis
The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the United Kingdom in 2001 caused a crisis in British agriculture and tourism. This epizootic saw 2,000 cases of the disease in farms in most of the British countryside. Over 10 million sheep and cattle were killed in an eventually successful attempt to...
and is now a business park. The Shakespearean and Hollywood actor Sir Ben Kingsley is a former resident of the village.